The 1980s Decade Reunion Report
"Emotionally exhausting weekend. The whole experience was extremely cathartic"
"Changes have been many in College since my time there but unchanged, and it remains long in my memory, is the kindness, courtesy and affection of the girls tbemselves, an accolade indeed for Miss Beale and all who succeeded her"
As everyone foregathered for the penultimate reunion held to celebrate College's 150th Birthday, the overwhelming impression was of a "wall of sound". One husband confided that he now understood how his wife had acquired a City Trader's voice! But it was sounds of delight, enthusiasm, recognition, not only of each other but also of teachers and College, together with the realization of how much they had all achieved.
It was hugely impressive to learn how many were juggling successfully the demands of a young family and career. All who came were a tremendous example to the current girls of what can be attained by hard work and good organisational skills, something which hopefully we all learn while at College.
"Most people seemed exactly the same but a little older!"
It was a happy day. Sadly, it was also to be the last time that Miss Hampshire attended College but she was pleased to see her girls and to hear of their achievements and it is perhaps appropriate that her final visit should have seen her surrounded by her former pupils.
Mrs Mary Blackburn, Chairman of Guild (1999 - May 2004)
"We consider ourselves so lucky to have benefited from such dedicated and motivated staff in a trusting, safe and caring environment."
Musings of the 80s Decade Representative
"Prayers at 8.45am" the notice said and it all came flooding back: green uniforms, cloaks, sacks, heels below two and a half inches and no chattering along the marble corridor. "Do you think we should be there at 8.40am for lines?" my old friend asked in all sincerity. That was how deeply CLC had pressed a sense of discipline and duty on our consciences, something that we like to dismiss in frivolous moments and yet still remains on our conscience, nagging us in our more intemperate moments. The PH is impressive, even though it's not as large as it was to us aged 11. Vicky Tuck had arranged an interesting show of slides, portraying characters and fashions from the 80s, which engendered much mirth on spotting familiar faces in sporting feats or extraordinary Halloween costumes. Margaret Thatcher, for all her sterling qualities, we were told, favoured the individual over the community but Mrs Tuck hoped that we would always feel part of the CLC community and that we would always be welcome back at College. On that day, the majority of us agreed with her.
The subsequent gathering in Lower Hall was overwhelming. Four hundred girls from the 80s shrieking with delight at seeing each other after 20 years, trying to catch up on marriages, children, divorces, second marriages and careers in minimal
time. Seeing such familiar faces which were automatically dear to one despite the gap of intervening years. It was amazing how everyone reverted to type. It was interesting to look round College again with one's contemporaries and to smell that familiar pungent gas in the science labs and to experience the hallowed silence of the Main Library, which in turn evoked unease in the pit of one's stomacch about the depressing prospect of exams. The new art block was wonderfully light and
spacious and we also liked the domestic facilities which we thought could have been quite useful for us, as the only cooking we really put our minds to at Coll was boiling up fudge with milk, sugar and chocolate taken from St Hilda's kitchen when nobody was looking. Hardly a recipe that was going to aid the nation's obesity problems.
It was fascinating after lunch to revisit our old houses. St Hilda's was transformed: now a sophisticated sixth form house:where each girl has her own room. It was interesting to see how Miss Hampshire's policy of re-structuring the sixth form with dedicated boarding houses was still being improved upon. Even to the extent that copies of Vogue, Tatler, Harpers & Queen and Hello had appeared in the main drawing room. They would never have been allowed in our day. We re-visited our old sitting room on the top floor of the house, which still exists in a more smartly decorated form and sat on the window seat gazing at the Cleeve hills in the distance. We remembered how we had formed long queues on Sunday evenings to use the telephone, one between 70 girls. With far fewer exeats, we had long weekends to contemplate where we would be in twenty years time. Little did we think then that we'd be so pleased to be back again!
Sifting through the many experiences and tales of the day, the main realization was that those friendships forged all those years ago in our youth are still to be treasured and that the bonds created by common experiences and traumas are stronger than one might have imagined. We felt that we knew and respected each other's core qualities, irrespective of events that had since occurred, and that was an invaluable gift provided by College.
It seems appropriate to also mention Miss Margaret Hampshire, at this time, whose own successful career and wide interests were an inspiration to us all.
Caroline Bennett (nee Duke) 1977-81 St Hilda's and Gabby Howatson (nee Hodgetts) 1979-81 St Hilda's